Tubac Street Signs
Mosaic panel with seated dog. Byzantine; Syria. 5th/6th Century. Art Institute of Chicago
If you have visited Tubac, you have probably noticed the beautiful mosaic tile street signs that help us situate ourselves in the historic town.
Mosaic tiles have been around for thousands of years as an ancient art form. The earliest known examples are Mesopotamian, dating back to the 3rd millennium BC. Greek and Roman Empire mosaics are examples of the early groundwork done in ancient times. Moorish influence carried the Maiolica tradition to Spain, where it spread to Italy and the rest of Europe. And eventually to the New World.
Suzanne "Susi" Hesselbarth. Photo: Tubac Historical Society.
The artist behind the majority of the Tubac mosaics is Suzanne "Susi" Hesselbarth. We can see in the pictures, the tiles are signed '88. Some of them have traces of the passage of time, but for being 34 years old I think they are quite well preserved, especially considering that they are exposed to the outdoors. There are a few signed by Leslea Johnson in '03.
I wanted to document these signs for quite a while. I finally had the opportunity to do it this winter! Here I present to you this gallery where you can see various designs from the different intersections. You will find some very interesting and even controversial details depicted in those tiles.
As a bonus, you’ll see a mosaic also made by Susi Hesselbarth for the Plaza Antigua Shopping Area signed in 1990.
If you want to see these and other Tubac landmarks and also get to know the history of this fascinating town, sign up for our Tubac’s Heritage Tour here.
Suzanne "Susi" Hesselbarth Image: https://tubac.pastperfectonline.com/archive/4BF39D2C-AD80-441F-938B-982375124353